


Love Beyond the Vivid Sky

by rubylily



Category: Vividred Operation
Genre: F/F, First Date, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-06
Updated: 2013-08-06
Packaged: 2017-12-22 15:39:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/914968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubylily/pseuds/rubylily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that peace has been restored to the world, Akane and Aoi finally have their first date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Beyond the Vivid Sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cynicalpink](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynicalpink/gifts).



This world was beautiful.

Underneath the clear blue sky, Akane rode her motorbike, with Aoi sitting behind her and holding her waist tightly, and she felt Aoi's face against her back. Their clothes and hair fluttered in the wind, and it was cool against their skin. They raced along the street, the edge of which overlooked the sea.

"Ice cream, ice cream…!" Akane sang, a wide grin upon her lips. Aoi had told her she looked cute in her new clothes, and the giddy feeling she felt at those words still had not faded. A few days ago, her mother had bought her and Momo new clothes, and her red tank-top showed off her shoulders, and she also wore matching shorts.

"Akane-chan, be careful," Aoi said, although a giggle still slipped from her lips.

"I am, I am!" Akane exclaimed, also laughing. "But Wanko is excited about our first date too!"

_First date._ The strange feeling in Akane's gut grew stronger at the sound of those words. But she was brave, and she could do anything for Aoi. If they were in love, then a "first date" was natural.

The end of summer was approaching, and already the battles with the Alone seemed a distant memory. With the world at peace, Akane had been most excited at spending more time with those she loved - her grandfather, her mother, her sister, her friends… and Aoi.

Soon the two girls reached the park, and Akane slammed on the brakes, nearly throwing herself off Wanko and Aoi's face smacked against her back. "Akane-chan!" Aoi yelled, rubbing her cheek.

"Eheh, sorry about that," Akane said, smiling sheepishly as her face grew red. "I should've listened to you. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Aoi managed a smile. "You just surprised me, that's all."

"That's good!" Akane exclaimed. "Well, we're here now, so c'mon!"

Aoi simply nodded, and Akane parked Wanko next to a park bench heavily shaded by nearby trees. She then took Aoi's hand into hers, and they rushed over to the ice cream vendor, and she stood near the guardrail that overlooked the sea. She had a small cart, one that Akane, Aoi, Wakaba, and Himawari had visited many times before, and the vendor recognized them instantly now.

Akane ordered a chocolate ice cream cone ("With lots of sprinkles!") and Aoi ordered a small sundae. After they paid for their orders and with their ice cream in hand, the two girls returned to the bench Akane had parked her motorbike against and sat down. Not only was this bench nicely shaded, it also had a nice view of the Manifestation Engine across the water, so it was one of Akane's favorite spots to sit in the park.

"Mm… delicious!" Akane said she took a large bit out of her ice cream. "That lady makes the best ice cream!"

"Yes, she does," Aoi replied. "Oh, Akane-chan, you have some on your cheek." She raised her hand to wipe the sprinkles from Akane's cheek, and then Akane licked them off of her finger. Startled, Aoi drew her hand back, a bright blush on her face.

Akane giggled, although her heart still raced at her bold action. "Can't let anything go to waste, right?"

"O-Of course not…" Aoi agreed, her blush softening.

Akane took another lick of her ice cream. "Hey, I just had a great idea!" she suddenly exclaimed. "This would taste even better with mayo! I should ask the next time we see the ice cream lady…"

"Akane-chan… mayo on ice cream?" Aoi said, trying to stifle a laugh. "That sounds… interesting."

"It tastes good on tomatoes and rice, so of course it'd be good on ice cream too!"

"Those aren't like ice cream, though, Akane-chan…"

Akane just laughed in response, and silence then fell over them for a few minutes as the finished their ice cream. But it wasn't an awkward silence - on the contrary, Akane simply liked being with Aoi, words or no words. Her best friend, her girlfriend, the one who had been by her side when their battles against the Alone had begun. Just being near her felt good.

Akane stretched her legs and leaned her back head to stare at the clear sky. "I love this view," she said, finally breaking the silence. "We can see what Grandpa worked so hard to create, what we worked so hard to protect. It brings peace to the world, and that's what everybody deserves!"

Aoi smiled. "You sounded very mature there, Akane-chan."

"Ah, well, it's just that you're so mature, so I'm trying to be more mature too, you know!" Akane's face grew redder and redder with each word she said, and she let out an embarrassed laugh.

"You don't have to change for me." Aoi laid her hand over Akane's, and their fingers became intertwined. "I love you just how you are."

Akane grinned broadly. "I love you too, Aoi-chan!" she said, throwing her arms around Aoi for a tight embrace.

They held the embrace for a while, as Akane took in Aoi's scent and felt her soft hair. They had hugged each other often enough before, but ever since they had first docked, their embraces were stronger, more intense. It was a feeling Akane had liked, although she hadn't quite understood it then. When she had asked her mother about it, she had simply said that it was normal.

Akane pulled herself away from Aoi, reluctant to end the embrace. "Aoi-chan, there's someplace I'd like to go," she said.

"All right, Akane-chan," Aoi responsed, nodding.

The two girls stood up and threw their trash into a nearby recycle bin. They then got onto Wanko, and as Akane started up her motorbike, Aoi wrapped her arms tightly around Akane's waist. "Ignition, on!" Akane cried out, and her motorbike lunged forward.

Normally, Akane liked to go as fast as possible while riding Wanko, but ever since she had started riding with Aoi, she went at a more reasonable, comfortable speed. Outside their Palette Suits, Aoi didn't much care for speed, and Akane still had an urge to protect her, even though she knew Aoi was much stronger now.

But in all honesty, Akane didn't mind going slower. The world no longer rushed by, and everything seemed so much more vibrant now - the colors were brighter and the air fresher. This was the world she and her friends had saved, with the powers given by her grandfather.

And it had all begun with a kiss on the forehead.

(She had felt a pang of disappointment when Aoi hadn't kissed her on the lips, but it was only much later when she had realized what that feeling had really meant.)

She loved this world, the world that had allowed her to meet Aoi.

Aoi's arms tightened around Akane's waist. "Akane-chan, if you want to go faster, I don't mind," she said, her soft voice almost drowned out by the rushing wind.

Akane shook her head in reply. "No, I'm good like this! I want to savor everything I see, because this world is great!"

"Oh, Akane-chan…!" Aoi pressed her ear against Akane's back to listen to her heartbeat. "I'm starting to understand what you mean by that."

"No matter where we go, we'll always see the Manifestation Engine!" Akane giggled. "Himawari-chan was right - it really is gorgeous!"

By now Akane had driven off the main road and was heading down a gentle slope. The breeze was cool on her face, and the wind rustled through her hair. She had a special place in mind - not only was it relatively secluded, it also held an important memory for her.

More grass and trees came into view, and the terrain had become more rugged, but Akane had traveled this path many times before, so she knew exactly how to navigate this area and keep the ride smooth for Aoi. People didn't come out this far often, so it had a bit of an unkempt beauty to it, but in Akane's eyes, all of Blue Island was beautiful.

Soon the two girls reached a small inlet, and the beach was flaked on both sides by small cliffs. Akane stopped her motorbike and Aoi was the first to get off. "What is this place, Akane-chan?" she asked, dusting off her dress.

"It's where I found Rei-chan after she washed up here," Akane answered, switching off Wanko's engine. "When she was injured, remember?"

"Oh, I remember how - it's where we looked for her key!"

"Yep!" Akane turned toward Aoi. "It's also pretty secluded. You have your ignition key, right?"

Aoi nodded and pulled her ignition key from underneath her shirt; like Akane, she still wore it on a necklace.

"Then let's fly, just you and me!" Akane exclaimed.

Both she and Aoi held up their keys. _"Ignition - texture on!"_

In a flash, the two girls, clad in their bright Palette Suits, were flying across the water, hand-in-hand.

Akane loved the sensation of her Palette Suit. Before that terrible accident, she had always wanted to fly as a child, and when her Palette Suit had granted her wish, that feeling of joy had been exhilarating. She had once been frightened of heights, but now she knew she was in safe hands.

And to save Aoi, she would've overcome any fear and danger, no matter what.

"Ah, the water's so clear!" Aoi exclaimed, a smile on her lips. "I can see our reflections!"

"Grandpa told me once that this water used to be really dirty, but after the Manifestation Engine was built, the water became cleaner and cleaner," Akane explained. "It's really wonderful, isn't it?"

Aoi giggled. "Yes, it really is wonderful, Akane-chan."

The girls drew closer to the water's surface, creating waves, but only a little bit of water splashed onto them. As they hurried along the water and began to fly upwards, their reflections were as clear as day, but they paled in comparison to the reflection of the looming Manifestation Engine.

Akane wanted to circle the Manifestation Engine with Aoi, but even she knew that would be a bad idea. While the world was peaceful now, there was still a chance the Alone may attack again, so Akane and the other girls had been allowed to keep their ignition keys. However, Amagi had warned them not to use their keys friviously, lest a civilian discover their identities.

Akane let out a quiet laugh. But as long as she and Aoi weren't spotted, she knew her grandfather wouldn't mind.

"Hm?" Aoi glanced at Akane. "What's so funny, Akane-chan?"

Akane stopped, and so did Aoi. They floated high above the water, just a little bit away from the Manifestation Engine. "Oh, nothing in particular," Akane replied, grinning slyly. "Aoi-chan, this is about where we docked for the first time."

"Oh, you're right!" Aoi said, her blue eyes wide. "So much has happened since then."

"Yeah," Akane agreed, nodding. Her heart raced; her relationship with Aoi was already romantic, but there were still things that needed to be said… "Aoi-chan, when I saved you and after we docked, that vivid feeling I had got much stronger, so I think…"

Aoi laid a finger over Akane's lips. "Silly Akane-chan," she said, a soft smile on her face. "I already know that. When I fought that Alone with Wakaba-chan and Himawari-chan while you were in the hospital, I could still hear your voice encouraging me, and that's when I realized how I really felt about you."

Akane smiled, and tears almost formed in her bright eyes. "I love you, Aoi-chan!" she yelled, pulling Aoi into a loving embrace.

"I love you too, Akane-chan," Aoi said, wrapping her arms around Akane's back and stroking her red hair. Her arms felt warm and protective, and Akane had always loved being hugged by her.

After a moment, the two girls then brought their lips together for a kiss, and they held that kiss for a while.

Akane's heart still beat rapidly, and she could almost feel Aoi's heartbeat against her chest. The feel of Aoi touching her was pleasant, and this was truly a real kiss. It was hardly their first kiss, but it was one Akane would remember most vividly.

Soon the girls pulled apart, but their fingers remained intertwined. "We should get going now," Akane said. "Momo's making dinner tonight, and she invited Wakaba-chan and Himawari-chan too!"

"That's great!" Aoi replied. "Then we shouldn't keep them waiting!"

"And maybe for dessert, we can have ice cream with mayo! Lots of it!"

"A-Akane-chan…"

But Aoi didn't finish her protest before she and Akane were flying again, the world below them racing by.

With Aoi, this world truly was beautiful, Akane thought.


End file.
